The Republican journal., 1887-06-23
Cleveland and the Soldiers.

The Administration of President Cleveland
will pass into history as noted only for its hos
hity to the Union soldiers. Otherwise its
sins have been rather those of omission than
of commission. This hostility has been mani
Tested mainly by the President himself, al
though undoubtedly shared by the eN-Confed-
crates in his Cabinet and other responsible pO-
>itons. The Presidents vetoes of pension
bills were specially and unnecessarily offensive.
The disabled veterans who fought for the
preservation of the Union were characterized
as perjurcrS, tramps and mendicants. Then
when Memorial Day came around President
Cleveland declined all invitation to be present
at the unveling of soldiers monument and
Went on fishing expedition to the Adiron-
dacks. But his recent order for the return of
the captured battle-iiags caps the climax. The
preteX that ii was done in the interest of har-
mony between the sections was too absurd to
deceive any one: and the attempt to make a
seapegoat of Adjutant General Drum will also
fail of its purpose
Under Republican rule these flags were kept
i'll eases in the War Department, where those
who took part in their capture could view
them. Under Democratic rule they were pack
ed away in boxes and releeated to the attic and
basement. They were thus out of sight and
inaccessible to the public, and could not have
offended the office holders under the new dis
pensaton Or the southern visitors to the War
Department, The order for their removal
stirred the loyal men of the North and West as
they have not been stirred since the war clos
ed; and had these flags been sent South as pro-
posed who eau doubt but that their return
would have been marked by great rejoicing. in
which praise of the President would have been
most prominent. Here j. to be found the real
motive for the rider which Cleveland was fin
ally compelled revoke. lie is now pulling
the wires for . denomination and the solid
south would be poten, in the convention as it
N also on election day. TO further his polti-
cal ends he violated tn. statutes and usurped
the power delegated to Congress. AS Gov.
Boutwell, puts it: THE President has no more
right to dispose of these battle flags without
express direction from Congress. in each case
than he has to take money out of the Treasury,
except i'll accordance with specific appropria-
ton" and GOV. Boutwell, as the official com
pier of the Revised Statutes of the United
states ought to know what they contain.
The Administration organs claim that the
Presidents ''oral permission for the return of
captured battle flags was obtained by misrcp-
resentation." but on this head the Washington
correspondent of the Boston journal saws:
hatever cXpedient the Administration may
tilhk II necessary to resort 10. the letter from
Inc war Department to the Governors of
southern States, offering to return the flags,
was as much the act of the Administration as
any act has been. The Adjutant General had
the formal approval of the Secretary of War
IN writing, and both the Secretary of War and
Inc AdJutant General had the oral instructions
OF the President. When. Gen. Drum asked
the other day if the public supposed he was a
1901, 1t was well understood that he did not
act without definite authority from the Ad-
ninistration The attempted di>avowal bv he
Administration cannot keep the fact concealed
mat The of1er to present the property of the
Government TO the Southern States was a con-
reption of su>h and doughfaceism